Page 84 of Crave Thy Neighbor

I tuck my lips together, trying not to laugh. “Bob Seger, not Slinger.”

“Whatever.” He shrugs. “I just know I don’t like it. Can you teach me a different song?”

“Well, I don’t know how to play guitar, except for on the PlayStation, but tell Dean to teach you a song by Foo Fighters or I’m going to tell River about that thing he doesn’t want me to tell her.”

“What’s a food fighter?”

“Kid, you are killing me right now.” Nolan clutches his chest. “Not food,FooFighters. Just tell Dean what I said.”

Sam’s eyes brighten. “You think that will work?”

“Oh yeah.” Nolan pushes off his stool, making his way around the counter into the kitchen, then deposits his empty plate onto the countertop. “I know it will.”

“Cool. Mario Kart race tonight after practice?”

Before we moved in, I worried most about Nolan and Sam getting along, especially knowing how Nolan feels about kids, but I don’t understand why he says he doesn’t like them. He gets along with Sam just fine, and they’re always off playing video games together or watching true crime documentaries—something I’m not super keen on, but until Sam gets freaked out, it’s fine. Any time we go out to the grocery store or the diner and he sees a kid, Nolan’s always making faces at them and making them laugh.

Sometimes I think he’s better with them than I am, and I’m the parent.

“It’s on, but only if I get to be Mario.”

“Mario is lame. Dibs on Bowser!”

“Dibs on getting you to school on time!” I hate interrupting their moment, but if I don’t get Sam out of this apartment in the next five minutes, he’ll be late. “Do you have your homework?”

Sam snaps his fingers. “That’s what I was forgetting. Be right back.”

Nolan grins after him. “Man, that kid is exhausting.”

“But lovable.” I lean back against the counter. “So, what’s the thing Dean doesn’t want River to know?”

“Nuh-huh,” he says, running his plate under the faucet, then putting it into the dishwasher. He dries his hands on a towel and faces me. “I’m not telling you. You’ll run right to her and I won’t be able to hold it over Dean’s head.”

“I would not run right to her!”

“Please. She’s your best friend. You tell her everything.”

Not everything.

I still haven’t told her I’m sleeping with Nolan, and I’m not sure what’s stopping me.

Maybe because telling someone would make it more real?

Maybe because getting more people involved would make it harder to walk away from?

“That’s not true. I have…secrets.” His eyes widen at that confession. “What? Because I’m a woman I’m incapable of keeping my mouth shut?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m just curious what you’re hiding from her.”

Us.

I shrug. “Stuff.”

“Is it”—he shifts a finger between the two of us—“this?”

“That’s one of the things.”

“Ashamed?” I give him anAre you serious?look. “Because you didn’t sound ashamed last night when I was eat—”

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